Olive Myrtle (Holliday) Grove

     On February 18,2021  we said goodbye to our mother Olive (Holliday) Grove, at the Gladstone Health Centre. She left us with  heavy hearts and many warm memories. Mom enjoyed 98 + years and had told us she wanted to get to 100, but did not make it.  Up until the last 4 or 5 years, mother enjoyed good health, and loved to go for tea at Walmart, where she would often meet relatives and friends after a shopping trip in Portage.
     Mom was born in Portage La Prairie on October 8, 1922 to Ernest and Gladys Holliday. Mom lost her own mother while still young.  When her dad remarried, the family moved to the MacGregor area where mom worked as a babysitter and housecleaner. When World War Two broke out, mom took a job working at an aircraft factory in North Bay Ontario, returning to the Macgregor area where she met,  and later married the love of her life and long time partner, Rolly on October 24, 1945.  They would go on  to enjoy 67 happy years together. They farmed in Katrime for many years , mom was an active member of the Good Neighbours Club, baked pies for the curling club and for the many dances they attended. In 1968, Olive and Rolly moved into MacGregor and later built their own home there . After moving into town, mom volunteered for the Heart & Stroke and Cancer Care foundations.
Dad and mom were blessed with 4 children Pat (Len) Mazur. Lynn (Garnet) Burton, Donna (Robert) Irving. Dean (Penny) Grove as well as 13 grandchildren: Jayson, Chris (Janessa) Mazur, Teresa (Jody) Doig, Dennis Burton (Dione Walz), Lisa (Cory) Irving, Sean Irving, Ryan (Kim) Irving, Cole (Theresa) Grove, Dylan (Kiersten) Grove and Mackenzie (Connor} Grove, Andriana, Tianna and James Walz. The bonus was welcoming 7  great grandchildren (Gabriel Doig, Lilly Burton, Ella and Tommy Irving, Iris and Asia Mazur, Ridley Grove) to the fold. 
One of mom's favorite past times was visiting with family and friends. She loved to talk on the phone and had an amazing memory. It was rare that she couldn't tell you a family birthday or explain how this cousin was connected to the family tree. Mom  had beautiful handwriting throughout her life, and we often joked that she kept the Hallmark card company in business with her frequent correspondence. Mom made the best tea biscuits, sugar cookies and lemon pie.  When folks popped by her first thought was to make a cup of tea and set out a snack.  She had a cheeky sense of humour and loved a good laugh. 
     Dad and Mom loved to travel and their motorhome put on many miles with dad driving and mom sitting in her raised co-pilot's chair dad had installed for her. When family were further away, they would take a plane or train to visit them across Canada and the USA.  In later years mom spent many hours in the sunroom they had added to their home, watching the people and activities on her street. Other pastimes included reading the daily papers and tackling the crossword puzzles that were in them.  At 90 she mastered  the iPad and enjoyed looking at daily e-mails and receiving pictures of her children and grandchildren. Mom enjoyed watching hockey, rarely missing her son's games and later on TV, where she cheered for the Winnipeg Jets and knew Dale Hawerchuk's every achievement. Mom also had a real green thumb, and enjoyed gardening, especially her flowers.
Mom was predeceased by her husband Rolly (February 20, 2013), her parents Ernest and Gladys, her stepmother Wilhemena, brothers Carlton (Nell), Lloyd (Ruth), Earl and Doug,  sisters Betty. Jean (Walter), Mae (Jim), Dorothy (Pat), Isabel (George) and Marion (Albert), Brothers in law Joe Chambers and Hugh Grove, Garnet (Gladys) Grove, Dorothy (Percy) Smith, Elsie Grove, in laws Betty (James) Morrris as well as grandchildren Michael Irving and Olivia Doig. 
     Surviving to treasure her memories are siblings Joyce Chambers, Ken (Donna) Holliday, Terry Holliday and in-laws Doug (Joan) Grove, Sandra (Bill) Grove, as well as  many  nieces and nephews.  Many thanks to all the people who contributed to enabling mom to stay in her home as long as she did.  
Mom’s last home away from home was with Dr. Laurelyn Juadiong and the amazing staff at the Gladstone Hospital, where "little MIss Olive" was very well taken care of.
Due to the present COVID restrictions, a Celebration of Life will be held at a later date, In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Heart & Stroke Manitoba, Crohns & Colitis Foundation , the Gladstone Health Care Centre or a charity of your choice.  

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